Party
by sams1ra
Summary: The boys investigate a college party that took a killer twist...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Supernatural, or any of the characters etc., etc. … so don't sue me…

N/A: Following my last fic, Travishu, but can also be a stand-alone. Any kind of feedback would be appreciated…

**Party**

Part 1

Sam and Claudia stood at top of the stairwell, Sam a little higher up on the stairs. They were both armed, though neither had their weapons drawn. Claudia was resting her head against the wall. She was small, especially in comparison to Sam. She barely reached his shoulders. She had a long brown hair, tied up in a tight pony tail, and the sweetest smile Sam had ever seen. Oh, yeah, and she was a hunter.

"It's different with demons, Sam." She said, "Spirits might haunt someone or something because they have some unfinished business, but demons…" she shrugged, "They just want to have fun."

"Then how would you explain Jess?" Sam asked, resting against the wall looking down at her, "Twenty years, and nothing, and then, all of a sudden, Jess dies the exact same way, above my bed."

"Did you do anything to provoke it?" Claudia asked, "Did you try to summon it? Did you post an ad in the paper saying 'come and get it'? No! Your girlfriend dying wasn't your fault, Sam." She said for the tenth time. She's only been with them a few weeks, but it felt like he's known her for ages. He looked away self-consciously.

"What?" Claudia asked.

"Nothing." Sam said.

"Sam, trust me, there's nothing you can say that would freak me out." Claudia said confidently. Sam smiled bitterly.

"I'm not sure about that." He said.

"Try me. Hi, what's the worst that could happen? You and your annoying brother drive away and we never see each other again." She shrugged, looking up at him. Sam hesitated. They've talked a lot in those past few weeks. He told her about his dad, about his mom, even about Jess. He told her about the job, and about not wanting to do it for ever. And she got it. All of it. She understood his will to stop hunting after he killed the thing that killed Jess. She understood his desire to find his dad. She seemed to understand everything about him. That was refreshingly pleasant. But he hasn't told her about his visions. He wasn't sure why he kept that to himself. Probably because he could really talk to her. Because she looked at him, and didn't see a freak. He didn't want to lose that. But she kept looking at him, waiting.

"I have these dreams…" Sam started hesitantly. She nodded lightly. "Nightmares. And sometimes they come true." He added, waiting nervously for her reaction. Claudia raised a brow.

"What, like premonitions?" she asked. Sam nodded, and her face seemed to light up. "Nice! Can you control it?" she asked. If he hadn't been standing with his back against the wall, he probably would have fallen down. She still didn't think he was a freak. At least, she didn't seem like she thought so. Even Dean seemed freaked out when he found out. Sam shook his head slightly.

"No." he answered. Claudia nodded her head.

"Well, you win some, you lose some." She said. "So what about them?" she asked. Sam hesitated again.

"I saw it. Jessica dying, I saw it, and I didn't do anything." He said in a small voice.

"Why not?" Claudia asked. Just like that. No games. He liked that about her.

"I don't know." He sighed, "I didn't think it was real. I thought they were just nightmares…" he was about to say more when Dean popped his head from the hallway.

"Hi, you two, if you're done making out, we've got a job to do. That is, if you wouldn't mind."

Claudia rolled her eyes.

"Party pooper." She muttered, "I'll go check downstairs again. We'll talk later, okay?" she asked, touching Sam's arm before heading downstairs.

* * *

Dean was sitting in the motel room, reading the paper and looking for their next gig. He sipped the terrible coffee he got from the machine outside, turning the pages. It was late. Well, actually, it was seven thirty in the morning, but considering Sam still hasn't come back, it was late. But on the other hand, it was time his little brother got over his girl. It's been a year now. Dean only wished Sam hadn't chosen someone as annoying as Claudia to hook up with. He finished the paper. Nothing there. But he has found a couple of interesting things online. Maybe they should check that out. If Sam ever got back. He did, half an hour later, looking like he hadn't slept at all. _My man!_ Dean thought to himself, smirking.

"Looks like you had a good night." He said, and his smile widened at Sam's reaction. Sam didn't say anything. He just slumped down on one of the beds, taking a deep breath. He seemed… happier, Dean thought. _And I bet I know why_. "So, what, you and that chick hooked up or what?"

"None of your business." Sam said after a short pause. Dean's smile grew even wider.

"That's my man! About time, Sammy." He cried, "So, tell the truth, was she worth the trouble?" Sam looked irritably at him.

"You're something, you know? You just made up your mind about her, and that's it. You won't even give her a chance." He accused. Dean's smile faded, but he said nothing. That chick almost got him killed. She got him tossed in jail. And now she was riding with them? He would have left her ass a long time ago if he thought Sam would ever shut up about it after. Okay, so she wasn't half-bad hunting, but he still didn't trust her. Not the least beat. If Sammy wants to have some fun, then sure, why not. He needed to have some fun. And he had Dean watching his back, just in case. "And we didn't hook up last night, we just talked." Sam added, getting up from the bed and heading for the bathroom. At that, Dean smiled again.

"Right…" he said. Sam shook his head.

"Whatever." He said, getting in the bathroom. "You know, you should really get to know her better." He said as he got out of the bathroom and took out some fresh clothes from his bag. "She's amazing." He said, a smile spreading on his lips, "You know her family's been hunting for three generations? She's been around this stuff all her life. She knows so much, Dean, and she's so easy to talk to." Sam said, looking at Dean. "I don't have to lie to her all the time, you know? She's just like us."

"She's nothing like us." Dean said quickly.

"Actually, she's a lot like you." said Sam.

"What are you talking about? Chick's nothing like me." Dean protested. Sam smiled.

"Yeah, that's what she said."

"So, you and your honey finished whatever it is you were doing, or do you need some more smooching time before we get to work?" Dean said, a little irritated.

"I told you, it's nothing like that. We just… talk." Sam said. "So, anything interesting?" he asked, ignoring Dean's cocky look.

"A few things, actually." Dean said in his 'all business' tone of voice. "This is interesting. A woman swearing she's possessed in Nevada. We should check it out." he said. Sam gave a slight nod. Dean had tried that before.

"I told you, I'm not going to Vegas with you."

"Fine. Well, there's this thing in Minnesota, a college party gone wrong. There was an incident, twelve died. The ones that survived couldn't really tell what happened." Dean said.

"You think it's our thing?" Sam asked. Dean made a face.

"Well, the victims were mutilated. We should check it out."

_

* * *

Dean slowed the Impala down so the three of them could take a better look at the community college."This is the place?" Claudia asked._

"Doesn't say, but they all went here." Sam said, leaning over to get a better look.

"We should split up, talk to people." Claudia suggested, "I'll try the local police, see if they can give us some more information." Sam nodded.

"I'll go talk to the families of the victims. See if anyone suspects anything. Dean, you should check the place where it happened, see if there's any sign of supernatural activity."

"Oh, big shot, so you're giving the orders now?" Sam stared at him.

"Fine, you talk to the families." He said.

"No, I'll check up the place." Dean said quickly.

_

* * *

Dean walked in the motel room, taking his jacket off. Sam and Claudia both sat on Sam's bed. They stopped talking when he got in the room, giving him the annoying feeling they weren't talking business. He wondered what Sam was telling that chick behind his back. He still remembered what Sam told that Meg chick, about being dragged against his will, doing things he didn't want to do…_

"Hi, don't let me get in the way, go on doing… whatever you were doing." Dean said, trying to sound as casual as he could.

"You found anything?" Sam asked him.

"Nah, they already cleaned the place up. No sulfur scent, no irregular EMF readings, no cold spots… Of course, that still doesn't mean there's nothing there." He said.

"Well, I went to a couple of families. Those kids were a very tight group for years." Sam reported. "They all grew up together. The parents didn't notice anything strange going on lately. The kids didn't seem any different. They say it was just a party." Dean gave a slight nod. At least he was still doing his job. Even with the distractions.

"What does the police say?" Dean asked Claudia. She indicated at her cell phone.

"Still waiting." She said, "Official response is to keep our noses out, but I'll know more soon."

_

* * *

Claudia hung up her mobile, returning to the table she shared with Sam and Dean at the diner down the street from their motel. She sat down, taking a fry from her plate._

"Well, break's over." She said, "My source says it looks like some kind of Satanic ritual gone wrong. Of course, he wouldn't know a Satanic ritual from any other but still…"

"Do they know what happened?" Dean asked.

"Survivors won't talk." Claudia said, "They say there was a power outage and then someone crashed the party and started killing people. That's the official police report, too. My guy thinks something else happened."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Because of the shape of those bodies and the markings all around. He said there was a pentagram and all other Satanic symbols." She shrugged, "Like I said, not an expert."

"So now what?" Sam asked.

"I'll check that place again tonight, see if there's something hiding in the dark." Dean said authoritatively. "You try talking to the survivors, see if you can get anything out of them."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

PART 2

Dean returned to the motel, walking in the room he shared with his younger brother. Sam was there with Claudia, not that Dean had expected anything else, but there was someone else there, too. A young woman. A cute young woman. And she seemed to be in distraught. She jumped as he came in.

"It's okay, Lucy." Sam was quick to reassure her, "This is my brother, Dean." He added. Dean nodded, flashing Lucy a bright smile. She smiled back politely. "Lucy was in the party." Sam explained to Dean, "Her sister Margaret was one of those who died." He added, and Lucy burst up in tears.

"It was all our fault." She cried, "God, how could we be so stupid?" Claudia touched Lucy's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Tell us what happened, Lucy." She said softly. Lucy wiped her tears with the back of her hand, but they kept coming. Claudia glanced at Sam and Dean, and then returned her look to Lucy. "We know there was no party crasher." She said in a matter-of-fact tone, completely devoid of reproach. "We know you guys tried to do something. Something involving a pentagram?" she looked at Lucy for any kind of confirmation. "You want to tell us about it?" Claudia asked. Lucy shook her head.

"It was supposed to be a joke!" she cried, "We got bored, so James suggested we do a séance. It was supposed to be fun, it wasn't supposed to happen like that!"

"What exactly happened, Lucy?" Sam asked, pulling a chair out for Lucy and sitting down on the bed. Lucy shook her head again.

"I don't know." She sobbed, and Claudia gave her a tissue. "We started, you know, but then the lights went out, and… they started screaming." She whimpered, "I could feel it. It was right next to me. It was so cold and mean. I ran. I should have waited for Maggie, but I just got so scared…"

They talked to her a little more, trying to get some more information, but she didn't really have anything else to add. At last, Sam volunteered to take her home. Dean watched them leave. Now all that was left was to get rid of Claudia, and go to bed. They weren't going anywhere tonight anyway. Claudia got up from the bed, looking up at him.

"You found anything new?" she asked.

"No. There's nothing there." Answered Dean. "We need to know which spirit they brought back if we're going to get rid of it." He added. Claudia wrinkled her brow.

"You think they summoned a spirit?" she asked. Dean gave a slight nod.

"Sounds like it." He said, "I don't think she's telling us the whole truth though. Bringing spirits back, that's not something a bunch of bored college kids would just… do."

"Oh, she's definitely lying." Claudia said. "There's something wrong about that girl." Dean smiled, getting up and walking over to where Sam kept their dad's journal.

"Oh, don't worry," he smirked, "Sam still likes you more." Claudia half-shrugged.

"I'm not worried." She said non-chalantly. "She looks more like your type anyway. You know, with a deep cleavage…"

* * *

Claudia was lying in bed in her motel room, working on her laptop. Her boss, Jin, demanded that she sent him detailed e-mails every week, to let him know what she was up to. It wasn't like she had anything better to do, anyway. They've been in this town for a couple of days no, and so far, came up with nothing. If it were up to her, she would have moved on already. Well, that or… there was always the other option. But she didn't like to think about that if she didn't have to. The wellbeing of her partners wasn't the only reason Claudia hunted alone. There was a knock on the door, and then Sam came in, not really waiting for her to answer. She glanced his way, but didn't stop typing. 

"Hi. Are you busy?" he asked hesitantly. Claudia looked at him, closing her laptop.

"What's up?" she asked him. He sat down on the bed next to her.

"Tell me if it sounds strange to you." He started, "Twelve people die at a party just a couple of weeks ago, and they're having another party tonight." He said. Claudia shook her head.

"Not so strange. That's just college." She said, "I went to parties all the time in college." Sam blinked, surprised. _How did that never come up before_, he wondered.

"You went to college?" he asked, astounded. He always talked to her about Stanford, and wanting to go back there. She never mentioned going to college before. Claudia seemed a little uncomfortable, shifting her weight from side to side.

"Just for a couple of years." She said, "But it got too tricky, with the job and all."

"So, you don't think it's strange to have a party so soon?" Sam asked again, making sure.

"Is Lucy going?" Claudia asked him.

"Yeah, I think so. She hasn't made up her mind." He said, still trying to process the thought that Claudia went to college. Somehow, he never would have guessed it. She was definitely smart enough, it's just… she never talked about it. Come to think about it, she wasn't much for sharing. Sam was usually the one doing the talking, leading the conversation. They talked for hours, yes, but it was always him that brought things up. Like talking to a therapist. A really good therapist. With a great smile.

"So we're going." Claudia said, and Sam was surprised to learn he actually didn't mind going to a party right now. He wondered what Claudia would wear. And then quickly made an excuse and left her room. Dean would just love that…

* * *

They reached the party fashionably late. The party was held in a large two-story house off campus, not very far from where the last party had been held. The loud music could be heard a mile away. People were coming and going, talking, laughing, and drinking a lot. 

"I keep telling you Sammy, college cases are the best!" Dean said with a large grin, punching Sam in the shoulder, his eyes roaming the room, lingering on a cute blond that definitely seemed interested. Sam rolled his eyes.

"You just remember we're here to work, okay?" Dean didn't even look at him.

"Hi, I'm a professional, dude." He said in an offended tone of voice, checking out another girl. Sam rolled his eyes, shaking his head disapprovingly, and left his brother in search of Claudia. She looked especially good tonight, trading her usual tank top and jeans for a tight, low cut shirt and even tighter, low cut jeans. Sam sighed exasperatedly when he noticed Claudia was actually flirting with a couple of guys. He walked over to her.

"Hi, what am I, a babysitter?" he asked.

"What?" Claudia asked, tearing her attention away from the two guys she was talking to. Sam made a face, and Claudia sighed. "Sorry guys, he doesn't like it when I flirt with other men." She said, "I'll keep your number though." She added, smiling at one of them, and Sam was rather surprised to feel a tiny stab of jealousy. Claudia walked away with him, her eyes darting all around.

"You know, Sam, you really should relax a little." She said, "This is a party, we're supposed to blend in, remember?"

"And here I thought we were here to figure out what happened at the last party." Sam said, his tone a little more harsh than he originally intended. Claudia stopped at a table, taking a couple of beers, handing one to Sam, but he just put it back down.

"We are," Claudia said, giving him a little disapproving look for putting the beer away. "what do you think I've been doing?"

"Flirting with almost every guy here." Sam said. A little too quickly. Claudia smiled.

"Aw, that's cute. You're not jealous, are you?" she asked. Sam made a face.

"What? No…" he protested.

"Because that guy over there," she said, gesturing at some guy making out with a chick, "he was there." She said, "And that one," she added, gesturing at another, "he was supposed to be there, but he missed all the fun." She said, and then looked at Sam. "Where's Lucy, anyway?" she asked. Sam looked around.

"I'm not sure. She was with Dean just a moment ago." He said. Claudia rolled her eyes, taking a big sip from her beer.

"That's a great idea, let the cat watch over the cream." She muttered, looking around. "I don't see her anywhere, I'll go check the bathroom." She said, handing Sam her beer. Sam kept looking around. There she was, on the far side of the room, with one of the guys Claudia had just pointed out to him. _That's a little strange_. Sam thought. The two of them were making their way up the stairs. Sam called out for Lucy, but the music was too loud, since she obviously didn't hear him. Sam glanced over at Dean, and then followed Lucy upstairs.

* * *

Dorian moved his head to the music, drinking his beer and checking the party out. It seemed like a good turnout. Even if there were about a dozen people he wished could have come too, but hi, they all knew the risks. It was still worth it. Dorian's eyes caught the sight of Lucy climbing up the stairs with James. He nodded in satisfaction. They still had some work to do. And then he noticed another guy climbing the stairs after them. He didn't know the guy, and that meant he had nothing to be looking for upstairs. Dorian took another sip from his beer, his eyes still on the staircase as the guy disappeared up the stairs. Samantha neared him, looking as good as ever. How she managed to cover her scars with that tiny shirt, Dorian had no idea. He didn't really care that much, either. 

"Hi, are we going to do it tonight or what?" Samantha asked him, taking the beer from him and taking a sip.

"No, it's too soon." Dorian said, not even looking at her, his eyes scanning the people dancing and hanging out around him. "We don't have enough people. And we don't have the other thing." He told her. Where did she go? He was watching a brunette just a second ago. Had his eyes on her from the moment she walked in.

"There's a couple of guys asking a lot of questions." Samantha said, lighting up a cigarette. "Lucy says they know things." She added. Dorian took the cigarette out of her mouth, dumping it in the beer can. He hated that smell. Besides, the sprinkler alarm was on.

"What couple of guys?" Dorian asked. Samantha motioned at a guy flirting with some Dorian didn't know.

"That cute one over there." Samantha said. "And he has a brother in here somewhere." She added. "What do you want to do?" she asked, looking up at Dorian.

"Get rid of him." Dorian said, not looking at her. She nodded lightly.

"And the other one?" Samantha asked.

"I'll take care of it." Dorian said. "Oh, and there's a chick asking questions too. I don't like her. There's something about her…" he trailed off, thinking of that brunette. _Where was she?_ "Get rid of her, too, I don't want her asking anymore questions." Dorian added. Samantha nodded again.

"Not a problem." She said, "Would you call me when it's time?" she asked, looking hopefully at Dorian. He smiled. She was enthusiastic, he had to give her that.

"Always." He told her, "Don't mess up this time."

* * *

TBC

A/N: Don't forget to review, please. Third chapter coming up as soon as I finish editing it.


	3. Chapter 3

PART 3

Dean woke up with a terrible headache. He rubbed his head, looking around. _What the…?_ He thought to himself. This wasn't the motel room. This wasn't even a room. He shuffled to his feet, confused. He was in an ally somewhere. He pressed his hand to his temples, trying to remember where he was, why he was in an ally at… he looked at his watch. A little after five in the morning. Nothing. He couldn't remember a thing. He called out for Sam, but Sam was nowhere to be seen. Tossing a coin, he chose a side and walked out of the ally. Still nothing. He had no idea where he was. Or why. He kept walking. The buildings seemed familiar though. Especially that big one over there. And then he saw the Impala. Well, one thing for sure, he came here on his own. Looking at the house, he fought to remember. _Oh, yeah, the party_, it came to him. But he still had no clue as to why he found himself in an ally, or worse, where was Sam?

Dean walked over to the Impala. _Great. The one thing I didn't mind losing…_ He thought as he noticed Claudia leaning against it. She seemed really tired, but relieved at seeing him.

"I figured I hang around this car, sooner or later you'd show up." She said. "Where's Sam?" Dean frowned.

"What do you mean, he's not with you?" he asked.

"Sort of implies from the question, doesn't it?" Claudia asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were leaving the party? I would have come with you." She said reproachfully.

"Whoa, wait a minute, I didn't leave the party. At least, I don't remember leaving it…" Dean said quickly. Claudia raised a brow.

"Drink much?" she crossed her arms across her chest.

"No. Not that much. And where the hell is Sam?"

"Look, last I saw of him was about nine thirty." She said, then wrinkled her brow. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Lucy, either. I've been waiting here since eleven, and I haven't seen her come out." She said, suddenly looking as nervous as Dean felt. He quickly took out his cell phone, calling Sam, but only got the voicemail. He hung up.

"He's not answering his cell." Dean said, fighting a rush of panic.

"Come on, I have Lucy's address in my room. Maybe Sam left with her." Claudia said, getting in the car.

* * *

Claudia had to remind Dean of the speeding limit at least three times as he rushed to the motel, and then to Lucy's house. They got there at six. Claudia speculated they might still be asleep, but Dean didn't really care. He didn't know where Sam was. Nothing else mattered. Claudia didn't argue, which was a little strange, since she seemed to be taking pleasure in arguing with him. She knocked on the door. A woman in a robe answered the door, looking rather surprised at the early visit.

"Mrs. Granger, hello. I don't know if you remember me…" Claudia started.

"I remember." Mrs. Granger stopped her, "You were here the other day, asking all these questions." Claudia glanced at Dean.

"Mrs. Granger, is Lucy home?" she asked. Mrs. Granger looked suspiciously at them.

"What do you want with Lucy at this hour?" she demanded. Claudia smiled.

"We just want to ask her a few questions. It's really important." She said. Mrs. Granger didn't seemed convinced.

"She's still in bed." She said.

"Could you wake her, please?" Claudia asked, "I know it's early, trust me, I wouldn't be asking if it weren't impartant. We really need your daughter's help, Mrs. Granger." Claudia said pleadingly. Mrs. Granger hesitated a moment longer, and then invited them in.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I really can't help you." Lucy said, "I only stayed at the party for an hour or so. I couldn't take it. Not so soon after Maggie…"

"And you didn't see Sam? You didn't notice him leaving or something?" Dean asked anxiously. Lucy shook her head.

"No. From what I saw, he was with her most of the time." She said, motioning her head at Claudia. Dean stared at Claudia for a long moment.

"Lucy, Sam didn't come home last night, do you have any idea where he might go?" Claudia asked, but Lucy shook her head again.

"No, not really. I'm sorry, I wish I could help you, but I really don't know." She said. Dean gave Claudia another look, and then thanked Lucy.

* * *

Claudia followed Dean back to the Impala, getting inside. Dean put the keys in the ignition, but then changed his mind. He looked at Claudia.

"I want to know what the hell's going on." He said.

"Me, too." Claudia said, glancing back at Lucy's house. "She's lying again. You think she has something to do with it?" she turned to look at Dean.

"What, with Sam or the other thing?" he asked.

"Both."

"I don't know." Dean said. He bit his lower lip. "I don't get it, he spent most the evening with you, and you don't know where he is?" he asked, looking intently at Claudia.

"Thing is, I hardly spent any time with Sam." Claudia said.

"Right."

"What, you don't believe me?" Claudia asked, frowning.

"I don't know, you and Sam are practically inseparable these last couple of weeks." Claudia blinked.

"I like Sam." She said. Dean kept staring at her. "Are you saying I had anything to do with it? That I know where he is and I'm not telling you?" she demanded. Dean still said nothing. "Are you kidding me!" she shrieked.

"Hi, you did use me as bait…" Dean said, raising his hands. Claudia stared at him, appalled, for a long moment. "I'm just saying, Sam hasn't quite been himself these last couple of weeks. He's… distracted." Dean added. Claudia swallowed, giving him an icy glare.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" she said coldly and got out of the car. Dean sighed, rolling his eyes, and followed her out of the car.

"Hi, where are you going?" he called out after her as she started to leave.

"I'm going to find Sam and do my job." She said, not slowing down or even turning to look at him. "Wouldn't want to _distract_ you or anything." _Oh, great. Now I'm stuck with all that chick stuff? Sammy had better be all right, 'cause I'm totally gonna kill him for that!_ Dean thought.

"Oh, just get in the car." He cried after her, but Claudia walked away. "Hi, I'm not going to beg you, you know." Dean cried out, "Get back in or I'm leaving you here!" he warned her, but she ignored him. "Whatever." He muttered. This wasn't his job anyway, being all sensitive and such. _If Sam wanted to ride around with a chick, he should be the one to handle all the drama_, Dean thought as he got back inside his Impala and drove off.

* * *

Dean parked his car not far from where the party took place the previous night. He got out, taking a better look at his surroundings than he did earlier that morning. Leaning against the Impala, Dean tried Sam's mobile again, but still received no answer. He was getting even more nervous. Walking over to the house, he knocked on the door. A young, red headed woman opened the door. _She's cute,_ Dean thought, but quickly reminded himself what he was really there for.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked. Dean smiled at her.

"Hi, my name's Trevor, I was at the party here last night." He started.

"Yeah, I know, I remember." The woman said. Dean was tongue-tied for a moment. At that, she smiled. "You don't remember me, do you?" she asked. Dean scratched his head.

"Should I?" he asked. The woman's smile grew wider and she flushed a little.

"Look, I'm sorry about the punch. We do this every time, you know, practical jokes and stuff." She explained. "How's your head?" she added. Dean wasn't exactly sure what to say. Well, at least now he knew what had happened last night. The woman mistook his hesitation for anger. "Look, I'm really sorry, but hi, at least I talked them out of throwing you in the dumpster." She said. Dean raised his brows. _My brother's missing, I woke up in an ally this morning, but hi, at least you talked them out of throwing me in a dumpster? Who are you people?_ Dean thought.

"Thanks." He said clumsily. "Listen, did you pull a practical joke on anyone else?" he asked. Maybe they did the same thing to Sam. Maybe he was in a dumpster around here. _That would be funny, though,_ he thought, _I wonder if they could ever fit him in a dumpster. His legs must have been sticking out…_ The woman nodded lightly.

"A few people." She said, and Dean started to feel hopeful.

"Was one of them really tall, dark hair, dark eyes, looking like he's never had a good time in his life?" he asked. The woman shook her head, shrugging.

"I don't know." She said, "We've got a couple of crushers, though. You know, people who passed out, stayed the night. You want to come in, check it out?" she offered. Dean thanked her, getting inside.

It was painfully obvious someone threw a party here last night. The place was thoroughly trashed. A few unfortunate people were trying to clean up the mess, picking up empty glasses and beer cans, moving furniture back to place and such. Dean was about to ask that woman where he could find the people that stayed over when someone hit him over the head with something heavy and all went dark.

* * *

This was the second time today that Dean had woken up with a headache. And this time was worse. He was tied to a chair, his legs bound. A few thought, feelings and curses went through his mind, but one of them won by a mile. Relief. He may have been knocked out by someone and tied to a chair somewhere for who-knows-what purpose, someone might come in any second and try to kill him, but at least Sammy was right there, tied up to a chair across from him. Even Claudia was there, passed out on the floor with her hands tied behind her back.

"Hi, Sammy?" Dean looked at his brother. "You know, saving your ass is really starting to be a pain." Sam smiled.

"Took you long enough." He said. Dean took a better look around, trying to free himself.

"What the hell?" he asked. They handcuffed each of his hands to the hand rests. He couldn't even move. Sam shook his head.

"I don't know." He said, "But you're lucky. They gave her the same stuff they gave me last night. I'm still a little dizzy." Sam said, motioning at Claudia.

"What happened?" Dean asked, still fighting the cuff on his hands.

"I'm not sure," Sam said in a small voice, "but I'm starting to think what happened at that last party wasn't a séance. I followed Lucy up here last night. Dean, they have some pretty dark stuff up here. Strange symbols, pentagrams everywhere, and I think I saw a dark alter."

"So, what, you think they're involved with dark magic or something? That they're trying to conjure something up?" Dean asked, wishing he had a paperclip with him.

"I don't know." Answered Sam. "But I think we're going to find out soon."

* * *

Well, not exactly soon. The three of them had been tied up in that room for hours, and no one as much as popped his head in to say hi or try and kill them or anything. At least not until late that night, when Dorian unlocked the door and walked in, looking with satisfaction at all three of them. Dean and Sam were still just as they left them; tied to the chairs with no way out, whereas Claudia sat on floor, her head resting against the wall. She looked like she had a serious hung-over. No wonder, considering what they'd slipped in her drink.

"You've been here for quite a while." Dorian noted, "Anyone else gonna be looking for you?" he asked. Claudia glanced at him.

"Probably." She said, "I'm pretty popular." Dorian smirked, crouching next to her.

"I'll bet you are." He said, his eyes lingering on her body. She was all tied up… no, he forced the thought out of his head. They had other plans for her. Better plans. He glanced at the other two. "I hope you're all comfortable. You're going to be here a while." He said, and then got up and started to leave. Dean called out for him, taunting him, trying to get a little more information, but Dorian knew better than that. He left the room, locking it behind him. Dean cursed. Claudia waited a couple of minutes more, to make sure he wasn't coming back, before she got to her feet. Their handcuff stock must have run dry, because they tied her up with ropes. That was a stupid mistake, but hi, it worked for her. She was all for them making stupid mistakes. She walked over to the door, listening for a couple of seconds.

"I think he's gone." She said, looking back at Sam and Dean.

"Good. Now you mind freeing us?" Dean looked at her as she neared Sam.

"Sure. What do I do? I don't have the keys." Claudia said. _Are you kidding me?_ Dean thought.

"I'm finding it hard to believe you've never had to get out of a pair of cuffs before." He joked, but, apparently, that didn't go on too well.

"Fine!" she snapped at him, obviously upset, "I thought you wanted my help, but if you'd rather take shots at me, go ahead." She snapped, crossing her hands across her chest. "I'm not the one cuffed to a chair." She added with a slight smile. She was rather enjoying it.

"Okay, okay, just get me a paperclip or something so I can get us out of these cuffs and we'll get the hell out of here!" Dean said quickly. He was definitely going to talk to Sam about all that chick stuff. It wasn't working, and it annoyed the crap out of him. Claudia reached in her pocket, taking out a safety pin.

"Would that work?" she asked. Dean raised his brows. _Well, maybe there was hope to her yet_. He thought, but didn't say anything. He started working on his cuffs, but as each of his hands had been tied separately, it was quite impossible. _Oh, crap!_ He thought as he heard the sound of nearing footsteps.

"Hi, you want to help me with that?" he snapped at Claudia.

"Not really." She said, getting back to where she had been sitting before and putting the ropes back around her legs. "Besides, I wouldn't know where to start. I've never done that before." She added.

"That's just freakin' great." Dean muttered, trying to work faster, but it was pointless. A couple of seconds later Dorian walked back in, now wearing a geeky looking black robe with a large gold talisman around his neck. Dean rolled his eyes. _Oh, what a geek! Who wears that stuff?_

"It seems you're not a popular as you thought." Dorian said, "You've been here all day, and there's no one looking for you. So it seems we got lucky." He smirked.

"And why's that?" Sam demanded. Dorian turned to him.

"We thought that, with everything that's happened, we would have to wait a long time before we can throw another… party." He said, crouching next to Claudia again, eying her, and then glanced back at Sam. "But as luck has it, here you are, all tied up and ready to be sacrificed." He smirked again, "And no one would be looking for you." Dean glanced at Sam.

"Wait, you're going to sacrifice us? The three of us?" Claudia asked. Dean looked at her, half-expecting her to panic and start crying. He rolled his eyes at the thought. _What _was _Sam thinking, taking a chick along?_ He wondered for the nth tine. Dorian smiled, nearing Claudia even more.

"Exactly." He said, stroking her cheek with his finger, "Last time it wasn't pleased with our offering. Things got… out of hand." He said, pausing for a moment, and then went on. "But this time, this time it will be pleased." He said confidently, getting back to his feet.

"You're an idiot." Claudia said, looking up at him. Dean couldn't help but grinning. _Okay,_ he thought, _that took guts. _Dorian seemed irritated.

"Excuse me?" he demanded. Claudia didn't flinch. She looked straight at him, no sign of fear in her voice as she spoke.

"That chick, Lucy, she lied." Claudia said, "You're not doing a séance, you're trying to raise a demon, aren't you? That's why you need human sacrifice, and probably why you're wearing that _ridiculous_ robe." She said, watching the expression change on Dorian's face. "You're an idiot." She repeated. "One person is enough to raise a demon. Three are just a waste. If you made a sacrifice and things still got messed up, it's because you were doing it all wrong." She said, getting stunned looks from all three of the guys, but she ignored them. She knew what she was doing.

"What would _you_ know about raising a demon?" Dorian demanded. Claudia smiled.

"Well I'm no expert." She said, "I mean, I've only done it five or six times…" she added, her eyes locking those of Dorian. Three completely stunned men looked at her again.

"You're lying!" Dorian snapped. Claudia shrugged.

"Whatever. Go ahead, sacrifice us. You're gonna die too." She said casually. Dorian hesitated.

"You're trying to mess with me." He said, "You'll do anything to get out." Claudia seemed amused at that.

"Probably." She said, "Then again, I am suicidal, so you'll never know. I mean, you don't exactly see me crying and screaming for help, do you?" she noted. Dorian hesitated for a moment, glancing at Sam and Dean, and then left the room, locking it behind him.

"What the hell was that all about?" Dean demanded.

"Just play along." Claudia said.

"Well is any of what you've just said true?" Dean went on.

"Look, you want to get out of here? Just play along!"

"Sure, just let them sacrifice us?" Dean glanced at Sam.

"Of course not!" Claudia cried, "Look, I may be suicidal, but there's no way a geek in a dress is going to kill me!"

A few minutes later Dorian returned, accompanied by another guy. Dorian motioned at Claudia.

"That's the one." He said, "She said she's done it before. She says the sacrifice was all right, and that something went wrong with the ceremony." He said. The other guy looked disbelievingly at him.

"Nothing went wrong with the ceremony! I translated it myself!" he said.

"Well maybe you shouldn't have." Sam said, playing along, "I mean, sometimes, especially with ancient texts, certain words have double meanings that translate differently. It's always best to use the original language." He added authoritatively.

"And you know many people who are fluent in Latin?" the guy asked him.

"I am." Claudia said. The guy looked doubtfully at her. "I do, I was a history major. It was a requirement for one of the seminars I took." She said. The guy glanced at Dorian for a moment, and then took out a folded piece of paper from an inner pocket. He unfolded it, showing it to her, a doubtful look still on his face.

"Read this." He ordered. And she did. The guy gave Dorian a surprised look, getting to his feet. "If you think you can do a better job than we did, if you can summon this demon, we'll let you live." He told Claudia. "Of course, if you lie, all three of you will die." He added, his look crossing from Claudia to Sam and Dean. Claudia glanced at Sam.

"You bet I can do a better job." She told him. He gave a slight nod.

"Okay." He said, nodding lightly. "Tell everyone the party's on." He told Dorian. "We'll take this one." He said, pointing at Sam.

"Touch him and I'll kill you!" Dean cried.

"Don't worry, there's always a next time." The guy smiled, "You'll have your turn." He added. Dean glowered angrily at him.

"I wouldn't do it if I were you." Claudia said quickly. He looked at her, a little amused. "I bet that's why it didn't work the last time, too. Man, you people are such morons." She rolled her eyes, trying to look as casual as she could. Dorian and the other guy seemed irritated at that. She sighed. "You drugged him, there are still traces in his system. His blood is probably all murky." Claudia explained. "What demon would want that? Take the other one if you want this to work." Claudia said, hoping they would buy into her lies. She liked Sam. A lot. But from what she had seen so far, Dean was the more skilled fighter. The two men exchanged another glance. The guy considered her words for a moment, and then gave a slight nod.

"Get everyone ready." He said, "I'll go get the book. And take _him_." He added, cocking his head at Dean. Dorian gave him a slight nod, and then he left.

"You guys are lucky." Dorian said, grinning, "You get to be a part of something other people can't even imagine!" he said, and then quickly left, locking the door behind him.

"Now what?" Sam asked, looking at Claudia, and then at Dean. Claudia motioned him to be quiet. She quickly got up, walking over to Dean, slipping him her carved knife. He looked at her, shocked.

"You had that knife on you all along?" he asked, amazed, "I thought they took it."

"Well, you thought wrong." She said quietly.

"You can't be serious. You're not going to help them summon a demon, are you?" Sam demanded. Claudia looked at him.

"Just play along, would you?" she urged him, "I know what I'm doing." She added, turning back to Dean. "And by the way, if anything happens to that knife, I'm totally keying your car!"

TBC

A/N: It's a little longer, I know, but the party is just starting… Review please, I love to know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

PART 4

Claudia grimaced in pain as she was being led away down a dark corridor, her hand pulled back to the point of break, a gun to her head. Dean was right behind her. They were pushed into a large room that seemed to be made up of several rooms whose walls had been knocked down.

About a dozen people wearing black stood in a circle, five more stood at five points of a pentagram that was painted in red on the floor. The room was dark, its windows nailed shut. The only source of light came from the numerous red and black candles that created a strange looking pattern across the floor. Claudia was led to a dark alter, whereas Dean was pushed to the floor just outside the pentagram, his hands tied with rope. The guy from before neared Claudia slowly, handing her a small, ragged looking, leather-bound book, already opened to the right page. Claudia squinted. It was too dark to be able to read the tiny words. Someone behind her shone the book with a flashlight. Dean rolls his eyes. Claudia glanced at him, and then quickly reads the first few lines. Her heart missed a beat.

"That's not just any demon you're trying to summon." She said in a small voice, looking up at the people around her. "Do you have any idea what this thing can do?" she asked, "This thing is evil. Really evil. You don't want to do this."

"Can you do it, or will it have three human sacrifices after all?" the guy from before asked impatiently. Claudia glanced at Dean. He nodded, letting her know he had already cut through the ropes and was ready. Claudia nodded back at him. She returned her eyes to the book and started chanting. The people around seemed excited, their eyes filled with anticipation. Except for one.

"Wait a minute, it doesn't say that!" he cried, "She's doing something, it doesn't say…!" and then the candles all died out. Claudia finished chanting, looking resolutely at the guy accusing her. It was done. Already, a chill started to spread around the room. Dean looked around nervously. He could have sworn he saw something out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned his head, there was nothing there. And then it seemed like the room became a little more lit. Dean wrinkled his brow, and then caught Claudia's look. He turned his head quickly and sucked in his breath. _Sonofa… She did it! She actually did it!_ He thought as he realized the room didn't become more lit, but in fact the shadows from all across the room seemed to blend together and take form. It wasn't solid, not just yet. Two red eyes were the only thing discernable from the demon's face. Dean swallowed, tightening his grip on Claudia's knife, wondering if it would even cause any damage. He glimpsed at Claudia, but her eyes were fixed on the demon. The people around didn't seem to agree on the way they should react. Most of them seemed excited, the rest seemed nervous. The guy they talked to before looked at the demon in awe. He walked over to the dark alter, taking a sacrificial knife in his hand.

"Finally." He said, walking over to Dean. "Oh, honored one, we give you this sacrifice to show our…" he didn't get to finish the sentence. The demon, nearly fully formed, leaped at him at slit his throat. The people around shrieked and screamed and yelled. Dean even thought he heard someone cry 'oh, no, not again'. A couple of people were quick to run out of the room. They were the only ones. The door swung shut. There was no other way out. The excited faces turned into nervous looks and fearful glances.

"This is your fault, bitch!" Dorian yelled, picking up the sacrificial knife. "This should have been you!" he grabbed her before she has time to react. She manages to shake free, but he still cuts her arm pretty deeply. Dean was about to go and help her when a sudden cold rushed over him. He turned, and for the slightest of moments, froze as the demon neared him. And then he remembered the knife in his hand. _Come on, let's see what you've got._ Dean thought, bracing himself.

Claudia watched the blood trickling down her arm and swallowed. Biting her lower lip, she looked at the demon. She knew what would happen next, and she wasn't looking forward to it.

The demon lunged at Dean. Dean clenched his jaw, raising the knife, preparing himself to… he blinked. The demon stopped abruptly. It looked around, as if looking for something. And then it found it. It lunged at Claudia. He was upon her in a second. She grimaced in pain, gasping, as the demon reached its hand inside her chest. She dropped to her knees, staring at the demon, but doesn't seem to be fighting it. Her breathing became shuttered, her face pale. She shivered with the cold and the pain. _Just hold on,_ she told herself, _you can do this, just hold on._

Dean's eyes widened at the gruesome sight before his eyes. He cried out, rushing over to help Claudia. He thrust Claudia's knife into the demon as hard as he could. It barely injured it, but it enough to stop it from killing Claudia. Weaponless, Dean stumbled back as the demon turned to him. But that was all the distraction Claudia needed. She took a deep, shuttered breath and got to her feet. The first few seconds were always the worst. She quickly started chanting again, and again the demon stopped before reaching Dean. It attacked her again, reaching its hand inside her chest, but this time she didn't fall to her knees. This time she didn't stop chanting. She found her knife and, looking at the demon's red eyes, pushed it in all the way to the hilt, twisting it until the demon was gone and the knife was left in her hand. Claudia closed her eyes for just a moment, breathing in relief. It wasn't the first time she had done that, but still… She looked around at the people staring at her, wide-eyed. Some were quick to flee out of the room, the rest just looked at her, some confused, others angry. Her look passed on each of them.

"Nice party." She said, breathless, a tiny smile creeping onto her lips. "Anyone for a rerun?" her smile grew as they quickly shuffled out of the room. Dean neared her.

"Are you all right?" he asked. Claudia gave him a little nod, looking at her knife.

"Yeah." She said, "Thank, for… you know." She added. Dean stared at her for a moment. He wasn't sure she was all right. She sure didn't look it. He looked back at the door.

"What the hell were you doing, raising a demon!" he demanded angrily. He was pretty sure it was the wrong thing to say, but it was the only thing he could come up with. She gave him a funny look, and was about to say something, when Sam kicked the door open. He hit it so hard it flung against the wall and nearly hit him back. He looked around, was still wearing the handcuffs on one of his hands, a worried look on his face. Claudia raised a brow.

"Too late, you missed out on all the fun." She said, sending him a little smile. Sam neared them, looking around at the room. Claudia looked down at the dark alter at her feet. A couple of candles were still lit on it. She took one of them, lighting up the book and watching it burn. Sam walked past Dean, heading for Claudia.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, making sure. Claudia nodded slightly. Dean raised a brow. _And what am I? Chopped liver?_ He thought to himself, but said nothing. Looking up at Sam, Claudia overturned the dark alter, smashing it.

"I could use a drink, though." She said.

* * *

Dean packed his things into the Impala. They were all tired, but none of them wanted to spend another night in that town. Sam came out of the motel room, walking over to the car and giving Dean his bags. 

"I guess it's not so bad having her around after all, is it?" he asked, grinning.

"Yeah, well, I still don't trust her." Dean said.

"Dean…"

"She raised a demon, Sam!"

"And she banished it!" Sam cried. "What they were trying to raise… Dean, it would have destroyed the entire neighborhood in a heartbeat."

"You don't know that!" Dean snapped, "Someone is dead, Sam, do you get that?"

"But it wasn't her fault!" Sam defended her, "Look, they would have done this with or without her help. At least, this way, it didn't have three human sacrifices!" Dean gave him a sharp look. He was about to say something when he noticed Sam was looking at something over his shoulder. Dean turned his head to see Claudia nearing them. She put her stuff in the car, with Sam's help.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked her. She smiled at him.

"Like I had too much to drink." She answered wearily. "And you keeping me up all night didn't help." She scolded him, trying to keep a serious face. Sam smiled, and Dean rolls his eyes, opening the driver's door. "This is going to be an issue with you, isn't it?" Claudia asked, looking at Dean. He glanced at Sam.

"We should get going." He said.

"Sam, I left my other bag in my room, would you mind bringing it?" Claudia asked. It took Sam a moment, but he got the hint, leaving the two of them alone. "Why won't you just say what you want to say?" Claudia asked, looking at Dean. He hesitated for a moment.

"You knew what was going to happen, didn't you?" he asked. "When you raised that demon, you knew it was going to attack! That's what demons do!" he accused.

"That thing I raised, Dean, in a scale of one to ten, ten being apocalyptic, the thing I raised doesn't even register." Claudia said, "It's… a mosquito. The thing they were trying to unleash, that's about twelve. If that thing… if they had their way, you wouldn't be standing here right now, lecturing me!" Dean looked intently at her.

"You thought it would go after you first, didn't you?" he asked a moment later. Claudia swallowed, lowering her eyes.

"They usually do." She said in a small voice.

"Why?" Claudia shrugged.

"I don't know." She said, looking up at Dean. "Maybe they think I'm cute." She tried, but Dean didn't smile. She sighed. "Look, Sam's safe. We're all safe. That's all I care about. I know you don't like me, I don't know what else to do to change your mind, but I like Sam. I _really_ like Sam. I won't let anything hurt him." Dean gave a slight nod.

"Good. Me neither." He said, and she didn't miss the warning in his voice.

"So… are we alright? Can we put this thing behind us, move on?" Claudia asked him.

"You know, if you want to keep hanging with us, you're going to have to learn some skills. You know, so you wouldn't get us killed, like you almost did last night." He said. Claudia gasped.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really." Dean said, "I have a job to do, sweetheart, I don't have time to baby-sit."

"And what _skills_ would those be?" Claudia demanded, not even a little amused.

"You know, the essentials. Breaking out of cuff would sure be high up there on the list." Dean noted as Sam came back. They all got in the car. "I mean, seriously, if I'm gonna be riding with another college brat, the least you could do is make yourself useful." Dean went on.

"Oh, yeah? Well, for your information, you're not so hot yourself. I mean, how long did it take you to get that thing? What were you waiting for, an official invitation?" Dean smiled to himself, putting a Metalica tape on and turning up the volume. One thing he could definitely say about her; she had much better come-backs than Sam.

"That's a lot of lip coming from a history major." Dean noted.

"I wasn't a history major." Claudia said simply. Both Dean and Sam glanced back at her. "Yeah, I lied, sue me!" she made a face.

"So, what did you study?" Sam asked.

"You mean when I actually showed up? I was a psych major." Dean gave Sam a long look.

"Well, now, that's just great!" he muttered, changing gears as the Impala sped on.


End file.
